Trainee doctors face sleep deprivation


Up to one in four trainee doctors are being left sleep-deprived on a weekly basis, according to the latest annual survey of doctors in training by the medical professionals’ regulator, the General Medical Council (GMC). 


The survey canvassed opinions from around 55,000 doctors in training and also found that over half regularly work beyond their rostered hours, raising concerns about patient safety. According to the GMC, overworked doctors had twice as many patient safety concerns and were six times more likely to feel forced to cope with clinical problems beyond their competence.


The GMC’s survey findings follow a TUC report published last month, NHS safety: warnings from all sides, which says that an unprecedented number of reports by professional bodies, trade unions, think tanks and NHS organisations this year have repeatedly warned about the threats to patient safety as a result of NHS cuts.


www.gmc-uk.org/National_training_survey_2016___key_findings_68462938.pdf


https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/TUC_NHS.pdf